Holl Signs With AHL's Rockford IceHogs

MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) -- Gopher Hockey alum Justin Holl has agreed to terms with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League, the organization announced on Monday. The IceHogs are the AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, who drafted Holl in the second round (54th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The Tonka Bay, Minn., native was a four-year letter winner for the Gophers and helped the Maroon & Gold to a pair of NCAA Frozen Four appearances as well as three-straight regular-season conference championships (a first for the program). The defenseman skated in 142 career games for Minnesota and ended his career with 38 points (eight goals, 30 assists).

Holl's last point for the Gophers will go down as one of the program's top plays in the team's 92-year history. With the Gophers tied 1-1 with North Dakota in the 2014 NCAA Frozen Four semifinal, the senior sent Minnesota to the national championship game when he scored the deciding goal -- a shorthanded one at that -- with 0.6 seconds left in regulation. Moreover, it was his first and only goal of the season after tallying 12 assists heading into the Frozen Four.